Cushion adjustable and display devices for treadmills

ABSTRACT

A cushion adjustable device for a treadmill includes a base plate fixed on a horizontal portion of one of two sides of a frame of the treadmill and a movable member is slidably engaged with a groove defined in the base plate. The movable member includes a resilient roller which is in contact with an underside of the deck of the treadmill. By moving the adjustable device, the resilient roller is moved to a desired position relative to the deck so as to provide a better cushion feature of the deck. A cushion display device includes an indication member and an extension rod which is fixed to the underside of the deck so that when the deck is deformed in vertical direction, the indication member is moved in vertical direction to show the deformation of the deck in the vertical direction.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cushion adjustable and display devicesfor treadmills, wherein a resilient roller can be moved to a desiredposition under the deck so as to evenly support the load and thedeformation of the deck can be displayed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional treadmill 40 is shown in FIG. 9 and generally includes aframe with two side support boards 411 and two rollers 43 are connectedbetween the two side support boards 411. A motor 41 is connected to afront end of the frame and two posts 42 extend from two sides of theframe so as to be connected with a handle which is not shown. Aplurality of resilient members 412 are located on a top of each of theside support boards 411 and a deck 44 is supported on the resilientmembers 412 and fixed to the frame. An endless belt 45 is driven by therollers 43 which are driven by the motor 41 and the deck 44 is locatedbetween the top portion and the bottom portion of the loop-like endlessbelt 45. As shown in FIG. 10, when a user walking or running on theendless belt 45, the load is supported by the resilient members 412which are deformed by the load and absorb the shocks so that the userfeel comfortable when using the treadmill. However, the resilientmembers 412 cannot effectively provide a satisfied result to the usersand cannot be adjustable according needs of different users.

The present invention intends to provide cushion adjustable and displaydevices which respectively adjust the position of the resilient rollerunder the deck and displays levels of the deformation of the deck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a treadmill which comprises a framehaving two sides and a motor and two rollers are connected between thetwo sides. Each of the two sides of the frame has a vertical portion anda horizontal portion, a plurality of resilient members are fixed on eachof the two horizontal portions. A deck is supported on the resilientmembers and fixed to the horizontal portions. The deck is locatedbetween a top portion and a bottom portion of a loop-like endless beltdriven by the two rollers. A cushion display device has an indicationmember which is fixed to an underside of the deck and movably pointsmarks seen on an outside of one of the vertical portions when the deckis deformed in vertical direction. A cushion adjustable device islocated on one of the horizontal portions and beneath the deck. Thecushion adjustable device has a base plate fixed on the horizontalportion and a movable member is movably engaged with a groove defined inthe base plate. A resilient roller is connected to the movable memberwhich can be operated from an outside of the frame.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a cushionadjustable cushion device for a treadmill wherein the movable cushiondevice has a resilient roller which can be moved relative to theunderside of the deck when needed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cushion displaydevice for a treadmill wherein the deformation of the deck in verticaldirection can be seen from outside of the frame by the cushion displaydevice.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the treadmill with cushionadjustable and display devices of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the deck, the endless belt and the frame of the treadmill;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view to show the cushion adjustable and displaydevices of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view to show the cushion adjustable device ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view to show the knob of the cushion adjustabledevice and the transparent plate for the cushion display device of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a side cross sectional view to show that the resilient rollercan be movable relative to the deck and the base plate;

FIG. 7 is a side cross sectional view to show that the deck is deformedin vertical direction;

FIG. 8 is a side cross sectional view to show that the resilient rolleris moved to a position to support the load on the deck;

FIG. 9 shows the deck, the endless belt, the frame and the resilientmembers on the frame of the traditional treadmill, and

FIG. 10 is a side cross sectional view to show that the resilientmembers are compressed when the user uses the conventional treadmill.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the treadmill “A” of the present inventioncomprises a frame 12 having two sides and a motor 10 and two rollers areconnected between the two sides. Two rollers are driven by the motor 10.Two posts 11 extend from the two sides of the frame 12 and are connectedwith a handle. Each of the two sides of the frame 12 has a verticalportion 13 and a horizontal portion 14 which extends from an inner sideof the vertical portion 13. A plurality of resilient members 17, 18, 19are fixed on each of the two horizontal portions 14. A deck 15 issupported on the resilient members 17, 18, 19 and is fixed to thehorizontal portions 14 by extending bolts through the deck 15, theresilient members 17 to 19 and being connected to the horizontalportions 14. A loop-like endless belt 16 is driven by the two rollersand the deck 15 is located between a top portion and a bottom portion ofthe loop-like endless belt 16.

A cushion display device 20 has an indication member 21 and an extensionrod 22 perpendicularly extends from a rear side of the indication member21 and the extension rod 22 movably extends through a vertical slot 131defined in the vertical portion 13 and is connected to the underside ofthe deck 15. A cover 34 is attached to an outside of the verticalportion 13 and includes an opening 341 with which a transparent plate 23is engaged. A plurality of marks 24 are marked on the transparent plate23 so that when the deck 15 is deformed in vertical direction as shownin FIG. 7, the extension rod 22 and the indication member 21 are movedwith the deck 15 so that the deformation can be seen by reading themarks 24.

A cushion adjustable device 30 is located on one of the horizontalportions 14 and beneath the deck 15. Preferably, the cushion adjustabledevice 30 is located on a mediate portion of the horizontal portion 14.The cushion adjustable device 30 includes a base plate 31 fixed on thehorizontal portion 14 and the base plate 31 includes two sidewalls and agroove 311 is defined between the two sidewalls. Two elongatewedge-shaped engaging recesses 312 are defined in the two sidewallsrespectively. Two lugs 313 extend from the two sidewalls of the baseplate 31 respectively and each lug 313 has a hole 314 definedtherethrough.

A movable member 32 has a toothed surface 322 defined in a top thereofand two wedge-shaped sides 321 which are slidably engaged with the twoelongate wedge-shaped engaging recesses 312. A U-shaped bracket 323 isconnected to an end of the movable member 32 and includes two extensions324. A resilient roller 33 is located between the two extensions 324 byextending a pin 326 through two respective holes 325 in the twoextensions 324 and the resilient roller 33. The pin 326 has an endextending through a first elongate slot 132 defined in the verticalportion 13, a second elongate slot 342 defined in the cover 34 attachedto the vertical portion 13 and is connected with a cap 327 which has apoint 328. A transparent member 35 is attached on the cover 34 and thepoint 328 is movably located within a rage of the transparent member 35.

A rod 37 has a square end 371 which extends through two respective holes314 in the two lugs 313, a passage 381 in a gear 38 located between thetwo lugs 313, a first through hole 133 the vertical portion 13, a secondthrough hole 343 in the cover 34 and is securely engaged with a squarerecess defined in the knob 36. A ridge 372 extends radially from anouter periphery of the rod 37 and a slot 382 is defined in an innerperiphery of the passage 381 of the gear 38 so that the ridge 372 on therod 37 is engaged with the slot 382. An annular groove 373 is defined inthe rod 37 and a C-shaped clip 374 is engaged with the annular groove373 to position the gear 38. The gear 38 is engaged with the toothedsurface 322 so that the movable member 32 is moved relative to the deck15 by rotating the knob 36.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a user is walking or running on the deck 15,the load from the user applies to a position of the deck 15 according tothe position that the user's foot contacts the deck 15 and creates adeformation “h1” in vertical direction. When the user wants to havebetter support, the resilient roller 33 can be moved to that position asshown in FIG. 8 by rotating the knob 36. In other words, the user cancheck the cushion display device 20 to decide that the level of thedeformation of the deck 15, and the user operates the knob 36 to movethe resilient roller 33 to reduce the deformation of the deck 15 from“h1” to “h2” as shown in FIG. 8.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A treadmill comprising: a frame having two sides and a motorconnected between the two sides, two rollers connected between the twosides of the frame and driven by the motor, two posts extending from thetwo sides of the frame and connected with a handle, each of the twosides of the frame having a vertical portion and a horizontal portionwhich extends from an inner side of the vertical portion, a plurality ofresilient members fixed on each of the two horizontal portions, a decksupported on the resilient members and fixed to the horizontal portions,a loop-like endless belt driven by the two rollers and the deck locatedbetween a top portion and a bottom portion of the loop-like endlessbelt; a cushion display device having an indication member which isfixed to an underside of the deck and the indication member movablypointing marks seen on an outside of one of the vertical portions whenthe deck is deformed in vertical direction, and a cushion adjustabledevice located on one of the horizontal portions and beneath the deck,the cushion adjustable device having a base plate fixed on thehorizontal portion and a movable member movably engaged with a groovedefined in the base plate, a resilient roller connected to the movablemember which is operated from an outside of the frame.
 2. The treadmillas claimed in claim 1, wherein the cushion adjustable device is locatedon a mediate portion of the horizontal portion.
 3. The treadmill asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the base plate includes two sidewalls andthe groove is defined between the two sidewalls, two elongatewedge-shaped engaging recesses are defined in the two sidewallsrespectively, the movable member has two wedge-shaped sides which areslidably engaged with the two elongate wedge-shaped engaging recesses.4. The treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable member has atoothed surface defined in a top thereof and two lugs extend from thetwo sidewalls of the base plate respectively, a rod extends through tworespective holes in the two lugs, a gear located between the two lugs, athrough hole the vertical portion and is connected to a knob, the gearis engaged with the toothed surface so that the movable member is movedrelative to the deck by rotating the knob.
 5. The treadmill as claimedin claim 4, wherein the rod has a square end which is securely engagedwith a square recess defined in the knob.
 6. The treadmill as claimed inclaim 4, wherein a ridge extends radially from an outer periphery of therod and the gear includes a passage through which the rod extends, aslot is defined in an inner periphery of the passage and the ridge onthe rod is engaged with the slot.
 7. The treadmill as claimed in claim1, wherein a U-shaped bracket is connected to an end of the movablemember and includes two extensions, the resilient roller is locatedbetween the two extensions by extending a pin extending through tworespective holes in the two extensions and the resilient roller.
 8. Thetreadmill as claimed in claim 7, wherein the pin has an end extendingthrough a first elongate slot defined in the vertical portion, a secondelongate slot defined in a cover attached to the vertical portion and isconnected with a cap which has a point, a transparent member is attachedon the cover and the point is movably located within a rage of thetransparent member.
 9. The treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein acover is attached to the vertical portion and includes an opening withwhich a transparent plate is engaged, the marks are marked on thetransparent plate, an extension rod perpendicularly extends from a rearside of the indication member and the extension rod movably extendsthrough a vertical slot defined in the vertical portion and is connectedto the underside of the deck.